1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of setting an alert mode of a radio pager for effectively expanding usage or utility thereof, and more specifically to a method of changing a pager alert mode from a normal audible alert to an inaudible alert. A pager subscriber is permitted to reset the inaudible alert mode when desired and induce the pager to again operate in the normal audible mode.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the art that a radio pager is provided with two subscriber alert modes: one is an audible mode using a speaker and the other is an inaudible or muting mode using a light source and/or a vibrator.
In order to prevent a subscriber from missing a call, it is a current practice to normally operate the pager in an audible alert mode wherein a speaker is energized so as to audibly alert the subscriber. However, it is often the case that a subscriber wishes to be alerted without the use of audible means in such environments as during business and private meetings, in theaters, etc.
In order to meet such practical requirements, it has been proposed that a subscriber be able to change the audible alert mode to an inaudible one using a function switch provided in a pager.
However, a conventional pager is such that once a subscriber sets it to an inaudible alert mode, the pager indefinitely remains set in the inaudible mode until the subscriber restores the audible alert mode. Accordingly, the conventional pager has encountered the drawback that a subscriber sometimes fails to detect a call because he or she has forgotten to change the inaudible alert mode back to the normal audible alert mode after attending the theater or the like (for example).